Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in approximately 4,400 major deaths per year. How can you help a child in distress regain a healthy emotional balance and peace of mind? It is not easy, but it can be done and must be done if your child is to thrive into adulthood. In this article I will give a brief explanation of cyberbullying and what to do if you suspect that your child is contemplating suicide.
Cyberbullying includes the following: a variety of non-physical attacks, spreading gossip, sending hateful messages, and posting embarrassing images and videos. As innovations in electronic communication and electronic media are made, cyber bullies will also have access to new technology and will use it to bully in new and possibly more harmful ways.
Here are some ways to identify if your child is being cyberbullying.
• Avoid the activities of friends and colleagues
• Not attending school
• Extremely fluctuating or descending grades in school
• Isolate yourself in your rooms
• Increased anger, resentment, or unexplained mood swings
• Self-destructive behavior such as cutting themselves
• Fascination with violence, guns and death
What can you do if you suspect that your child is thinking about suicide? Here are some vital steps you can take to understand the situation and how to best help your child cope:
• Do not panic. Just ask the child directly if they are thinking about suicide. Regardless of the answer, if you believe he or she is in danger of self-harm, discreetly remove any items from the home that could be used in a suicide attempt.
• Listens to anything they have to say to you without judgment and with a constant focus of concern for the child. If you start judging or launching accusations, you will effectively shut down a vital line of communication. You want your child to be able to talk to you.
• Help them understand that the overwhelming emotions they feel are temporary and will change as the child grows and learns to see things from different perspectives. Helping your child look at the world through a different framework and showing him how to turn a situation from negative to positive is an important step that any parent or guardian can take to stabilize a child’s emotional health.
• Make an appointment with a mental health professional. Your child may resent you for forcing him to seek counseling or take prescribed psychiatric medications in the short term, but the end result – an emotionally healthy, stable, and ALIVE adult – is worth it.